Wednesday, March 25, 2009

Once Again, Texas Leads the Way

At a hearing Thursday of the House Committee on Human Services, Elkins and other members of the panel considered more than two dozen bills related to Medicaid and the Children's Health Insurance Program.

Three hours into the hearing, Elkins asked: 'What's Medicaid?'

The Houston Republican continued: 'I know I hear it — I really don't know what it is. I know that's a big shock to everybody here in the audience, OK.'

He could have kept quiet. He could have asked an aide. He could have Googled it. Instead, he asked the question into the microphone in the middle of a public hearing.[. . . .]A quarter of the state budget is Medicaid."